


Sanctum Corpus

by Frog_heart_00



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: A bit of writing, A modern kitchen disaster AU, Ben the writer, Does have a surprisingly happy ending, Domestic Reylo fluff, F/M, One Shot, Rey is not a good cook, Slight Paterson feels but not the same, Some well deserved sexy time..., a bit of smut, all Latin comes from Google Translate, but not the way you expect, good smut!, some calligraphy but not the way you think, unproper use of melted chocolate
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-14
Updated: 2019-05-14
Packaged: 2020-03-05 13:20:50
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,184
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18829489
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Frog_heart_00/pseuds/Frog_heart_00
Summary: Rey Niima hasn't had the best of luck when it comes to cooking but still wants to make dinner for Ben Solo. Of course, things never go as expected and when Ben comes home, he's met with an unexpected surprise. Defeated, Rey thinks the day is ruined until she gets a surprise of her own....





	Sanctum Corpus

**Author's Note:**

> I was really inspired after making Spring Rolls for the first time. While it didn't end up in a kitchen disaster I started to think how challenging it could've been for someone who isn't that experienced. When brainstorming this fic, I also kept thinking of Paterson and how despite his wife's eccentricity, he always supported her. This was extremely fun to write and I hope you enjoy it!
> 
> A big thank you to [Cecilia1204](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cecilia1204/pseuds/Cecilia1204) for Betaing.  
> A big thank you to [Audrey4ever](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Audrey4ever/pseuds/Audrey4ever) for fixing my moodboard.  
> A big thank you to House Swolo and The Writing Den for giving me so much support! You guys rock.

 

Ben Solo was looking forward to getting home after a long day of his book tour (the least of his favorite things when it came to his career as a writer). He had to read a chapter from his new book in front of hundreds of fans, then came the interview and the longest ten minutes of questions from the audience. It all finished with the autograph session. He was surprised he hadn't become a germaphobe with the amount of hands he'd shaken in an hour yet he couldn't help feeling giddy and humble, at the same time, to receive such appreciation from pure strangers.

 

After the book signing, he'd gone to a meeting with Phasma, who was quite pleased with the book sales numbers for the first week. If his book, _The Redemption_ , continued to be so popular, he'd probably have to make one, if not several, appearances on talk shows, (something he silently prayed he wouldn't have to do, much to Rey’s, Gwen’s, his mom’s - heck, _everyone’s_ chagrin).

 

It had been such a long fucking day that Ben was now eager to come home to Rey and for the forthcoming weekend. He smiled as he parked his car along the street. Promptly getting his satchel bag, Ben looked at their town house and exhaled.

 

_Our house_.

 

He had worked late yesterday (to compensate for being completely off the grid for the weekend) and only saw Rey sleeping soundly when he’d come home around 11 pm before running out of the house this morning at 7am. Rey, half-awake, only managed to utter a goodbye as she went back to sleep. They did have days like that, where they barely saw one another, and despite Rey being completely understanding, Ben usually felt a tinge of regret, hating when several days passed without properly seeing her.

 

Looking at his watch, Ben hoped Rey was home as they still had several hours before their reservation at Poe’s Michelin-star restaurant, _The Rebellion_. That would be time enough for a shower and maybe a quick nap (well, okay, maybe not a _nap_ but at least a bit of _time_ _in_ _bed_ _together_ ). Grinning at his dirty, horny mind, Ben picked up his pace and walked up the three small steps before digging in his pockets, pulling out his keys and unlocking the front door.

 

The first thing that hit him was the smell.

 

The smell reminded him of… of… of _carnivals_ , _food fairs_ and _amusement parks_ . The smell of fast food joints that deep fried _everything_. And not only was the frying smell intense but it also reminded him of something acrid, something burnt, as it set in his nostrils

 

Slowly putting down his satchel bag on the floor and taking off his suit jacket, the second thing that hit him was the silence. The house was completely silent if not for grandpa Ani’s grandfather clock that _tick-tocked_ in the background.

 

Frowning, Ben looked around, trying to find any sign of life. He threw his jacket on the sofa in the living room, concerned as to why there was this acrid smell in the house and why there was no one there.

 

“Rey?” He called softly as he walked towards the opening that went from the living room to the kitchen.

 

He stopped and gasped at the large mess that covered the kitchen counter, the kitchen island, the sink and the stove. A detritus of noodles, and vegetables he couldn’t discern, matted the floor while bottles of oil and jars hat Ben recognized as soya and oyster sauce, some empty, some full, were scattered everywhere. Abandoned cutting boards were discarded by the sink, of which said sink, ( _oh the sink_ ) was filled with a mix of glass and white noodles. He raised an eyebrow in concern as he saw a fire extinguisher and what must have been a fire blanket by the fridge.

 

The kitchen was a disaster, a _complete_ _Asian noodle_ disaster. Taking a closer step around the kitchen island, Ben thought he heard a faint sobbing noise from the floor by the sink. Frowning even further, he walked around the counter, the sobbing noise now louder, and saw Rey Niima sitting on the floor, her back laying against the kitchen drawers while her legs were sprawled out, a half empty bottle of wine between her thighs.

 

Her eyes were swollen and blotchy while she sniffed and sobbed quietly, the tears falling freely from her hair-covered face as she looked up at Ben.

 

Ben, whose chest tightened immediately at the sight of her looking so defeated (something she rarely ever was), fell down to his knees and scooped her up in his arms. “Rey,” he whispered as she latched on to him and let the flood of tears burst out, crying her heart out. “Shhh, shhhh. It’s okay, babe, it’s okay. Calm down,” he cooed, gently patting her back while squeezing her in his arms.

 

“I’m so sorry Ben. I wanted to surprise you today,” Rey whimpered, sobbing quietly.

 

“Oh, don’t be sorry, babe,” Ben comforted her, pushing her shoulders back so he could see her. Brushing the hair away from her sweat-matted face, Ben smiled, wanting to show her that it didn’t matter, whatever had happened. “It’s okay, we’ll clean up this mess.”

 

Rey nodded and sniffed loudly, leaning forward to hug him. “The dinner reservation at _The Rebellion_  was just a cover. I was going to make you dinner, from scratch.”

 

“Oh, _really_ ?” Ben asked, genuinely surprised as he now looked at the mess with a better understanding. “Well, I gotta say, you _did_ surprise me!” He started to smile before he felt a slight nudge in his ribs as Rey scowled at him.

 

“Don’t you dare make a joke about this, Ben Solo,” she warned and Ben’s grin disappeared as he recognised the well-known _fire-in-Rey’s-eyes-you-better-not-fuck-with-her_ look. Rey leaned her head backwards, making a _thunk_ sound on the doors. “I even took the day off to prepare dinner for tonight.”

 

“Rey, you shouldn’t have. I mean, it’s nice and all, but we could’ve done this together,” Ben said sweetly, not trying to dismiss Rey’s disastrous attempt at cooking.

 

“No, I _wanted_ it to be a surprise and I wanted to try something new,” Rey started as she lay her head on his chest.

 

Ben lifted his head up and saw the mess in the kitchen, smiling carefully. There were some fresh vegetables left, _lots_ of noodles - he could quickly manage a stir fry. “Well, don’t worry, I’m pretty sure we can manage to salvage something of the dinner,” he said positively.

 

“ _Dinner_?” Rey brought her brows together, tilting her head sideways for a moment. “I _haven’t even_ _started_ with dinner.  I was meant to make that saucy beef and broccoli you like so much but I never got that far.”

 

“ _Oh_ , Ben gulped, growing more confused before turning serious, not wanting to hurt Rey’s feelings any further. “Then…” his voice was almost a whisper. “What… were you _trying_ to make?”

 

Rey rolled her eyes before she glared at him. “ _Appetizers_ … I was going to make spring rolls as an appetizer.”

 

“ _Oh!_ ” Ben’s eyes widened as he lowered his head to look at her. “ _Spring rolls_?” he repeated, squeezing his lips together, trying to withhold the chortle he wanted to emit. He looked about the room. “You were trying to make spring rolls?”

 

_How on earth could someone make such a mess from fucking spring rolls? How can the sink be filled with noodles when you’re just making spring rolls?_

 

Rey closed her eyes and a few tears rolled down her face. Ben hushed her again, wiping the tear away with his thumb. _Probably best not to ask_ , he thought wisely, or else he was begging to spend the night on the couch.

 

Ben knew how Rey struggled with both her cooking abilities and with failure and the combination of the two must have been a big blow for her. She hadn’t been kidding when she told him early in their relationship that she was a disaster in the kitchen. It’s not as if nutrition or making a three-course dinner had been her highest priority when she was living in an orphanage or with a foster family. Yeah, she could make your basic rice, noodles or gruel (and that’s if she was lucky _not_ to burn them) but Ben was well aware of Rey’s struggles in the kitchen and tried as much as he could to help her. Sometimes, though, he swore that there was just something about Rey and cooking that simply did not mix. She’d managed to set off the fire alarm in the kitchen at least 2 to 4 times a year, earning many side glances from their neighbours. After a while, especially after moving in together, they had more or less decided that Ben was the cook in the family and Rey would provide for the food, if not fix whatever defective appliance they had. It was an unspoken but golden rule.

 

“I’m such a fucking disaster,” she sobbed as she brought her knees up and placed her head on them. Passing a hand through her nest of hair, the three buns having seen better days. “I was prepared for this, Ben,” she sniffed as he pursed his lips and took a deep breath, never liking to see her this distraught. He placed her on the floor and sat in front of her, gently rubbing her thighs after he had put the wine bottle aside.

 

“You don’t have to tell me,” he whispered.

 

She lifted her head before shaking it. “I prepared for _everything_ . I googled the recipes, I watched the YouTube videos to see how to roll the sheets, how to carefully warm up the oil. For fucks sake, I even bought a fire blanket, just in case.” Ben smiled proudly at how determined she had been to do this for him. Rey started to sniff and tears were now streaming again. “I took out all the ingredients but then, when I was just starting, I realized that I had gotten the _wrong_ type of noodles. You know, the one that goes in the filling? They all looked the same when I was at the store. Who the fuck knew that glass noodles were different from vermicelli noodles? They look the same but the vermicelli ones are white while the others are glassy…” Her voice was shaking and she clenched her fists before Ben gently took them in his, unclenching them and  grasping them tightly. “I didn’t want to fuck up any more so I went, ‘ _okay, I’ll just go to the store and get some glass noodles’._ So I did that. I come back home, 45 minutes later, and boil the damn noodles. In the meantime, I’m cutting up and shredding the vegetables and, of course, I break the damned knife trying to cut the cabbage in two. And it just goes to hell from there. I burnt the first batch-”

 

“It couldn’t have been that bad…” Ben scoffed.

 

Glaring at him, Rey scowled. “The glass noodles were _black_.”

 

“ _Oh…_ ” he said quietly.

 

“So, I made another batch of filling but then I added the entire chilli and way too much soya sauce, so in the end, it was this awful spicy, salty thing that was just inedible,” she sighed.

 

Ben waved his hand. “Okay, I think I’m getting the picture… How many batches did you make in the end?”

 

“ _Five_ …” she exhaled, lowering her head. “The fourth one was okay but then I don’t know what I did wrong with the sheets - they kept breaking in the frying pan so the noodles ended up in the oil. I didn’t bother too much with it but since they got burnt, it gave a burnt flavor to the other rolls. That’s why it smells like a fast-food joint.”

 

“What, you didn’t change the oil right away?” Ben asked in disbelief.

 

“ _I didn’t know I had to_!” She replied angrily before folding her arms, pouting like a child.

 

“Okay, but that doesn’t explain why the sink’s full of noodles.” Ben pointed to the sink near him.

 

“Well…” she began in a low voice, avoiding his gaze. “I hadn’t read the recipe correctly so when it said 400 grams of noodles, I thought it meant 400 grams of dry noodles, not cooked. Since I didn’t want to keep the leftover noodles in the bag for later, I just decided to cook all them. I was getting so stressed about where to put them since the colander was too small that I just chucked everything in the sink. Not the smartest idea,” Rey sniffed angrily. “I had to go to the store three times to get stuff. I’m on good terms with the owner, Maz, now. She offered to close the store to come and help me.”

 

“So, tell me, despite your mishaps, did you manage to make any spring rolls?” Ben dared to ask, knowing he would have to do the honorable thing by tasting whatever concoction she had made.

 

For the first time since he got home, her face lightened and a sliver of a smile appeared on her swollen lips. “I managed to make fifteen of them! Want to taste? They’re in the oven.” Beaming, she scooted to the side and opened the door to the oven, taking out a plate of brownish rolls that glistened in the light, a bath of oil spread on the surface.

 

“I’d be delighted to,” Ben replied convincingly. At least they were folded properly (although a few of them had holes on the side) and smelled more or less acceptable. Picking up a roll from the plate, Ben ignored the oil oozing on his fingers as he inspected the semi-burnt spring roll, and, ignoring the warnings of his stomach (yeah, he’d gotten acquainted with the bathroom several times after Rey’s cooking attempts), he put the tip of the roll in his mouth.

 

It actually wasn’t _that_ bad…

 

It tasted the way he remembered them, not too spicy or salty, just right. Rey watched him carefully and he swore he could almost see the stars in her eyes as she waited desperately for his reaction. He chewed the piece of roll and despite the good taste, he could feel a thick liquid that oozed in his mouth. He knew exactly what the liquid was as he crunched into the end piece, some of that liquid falling from his mouth and onto his white shirt.

 

_Oil._

 

The entire spring roll was drenched in oil, inside and out.

 

“Oh, _fuck,_ I’m so sorry,” Rey wailed as she grabbed a rag and rubbed uselessly at the oil stain on his shirt. She groaned and sobbed, the tears returning. “I wasn’t sure whether they were cooked well and I didn’t want anyone to get sick so I left them there for like five minutes or something…”

 

“You did remember to put them on a paper towel? To let the oil drain?” Ben asked innocently before pulling the rag away from his shirt. “Don’t bother, oil’s hard to get out. Hopefully the cleaners can fix it. In worst case, I can chuck it. I have others.”

 

Rey looked at him, confused, before staring at the ceiling, probably trying to remember if she had before her shoulders deflated and she slouched down. “Oh,” she whispered, before crying again. “I’m so stupid. I can’t cook for shit and I really wanted to surprise you. God, this has been such a horrible day.”

 

Taking a deep breath, Ben put aside rag and pulled Rey close, making her sit on his lap and wrapping her legs around him. He pulled her head forward and rested his forehead on hers. “Your spring rolls were delicious and you are wonderful, Rey Niima,” he said, his dark eyes meeting her swollen ones. “So, the kitchen’s a bit of a mess and it needs a lot of airing but don’t worry, you didn’t fail. Not everyone is meant to cook and, well, for the time being, you just _can’t_.” Rey chuckled as she brought her hands behind his neck. “But there’s so many other wonderful things you can do. Remember that, alright? You fixed the squeaky microwave door, you fixed the element on the toaster so that it toasted evenly on both sides.” Rey smiled through her tears and nestled her head on his chest as he closed his eyes and brought his arms around her, smelling the cooking oil in her hair instead of the usual watermelon shampoo she used.

 

“Why don’t you go take a bath while I clean this up?” he finally suggested. He lifted her head gently and pulled off the elastics that held her three messy buns. “You’ve had a long day. Let me clear some of the mess while you relax. I’ll bring you wine, in a _glass_ this time, if you want.”

 

Rey bit her lip. “You’d do that for me?” she whispered tenderly.

 

He tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and nodded. “For you, anything.”

 

Smiling, she leaned over and kissed him gently on the lips. God, he loved those lips, he thought in a daze as he pressed her further into him.

 

“Thank you,” she sighed when she finally pulled away.

 

‘’We’re in this together,” he smirked.

 

“ _Always,_ ” she finished.

 

00000000000000

 

Rey was soaking in the bathtub, humming some tune as she sipped from the glass of wine Ben had brought her earlier.

 

Everything felt much better after a bath, she thought to herself as she placed the glass back on the counter and dipped her head beneath the surface, feeling the bubbles on her face. She had put in a Lush bar and the bathtub had filled up with red glittery water and bubbles, the bathroom smelling like roses.

 

At least it didn’t smell like fried food anymore, she chuckled to herself as she heard Ben tidying up in the kitchen. Today’s attempt at making dinner was probably going to go in Rey’s book of worst kitchen disasters. Rey was pretty certain Ben would bring this up at Christmas dinner when Leia would drunkenly take out Ben’s baby pictures to show Rey.

 

Once she was done, Rey rinsed off and put on a bathrobe, thinking it was best to go help Ben tidy up the mess that she had made.  She was combing her hair and preparing to get dressed when Ben knocked on the door.

 

“Are you done?” he asked, poking his head inside.

 

She looked at him through the mirror and nodded her head. “Yeah. Thought I’d change and help you... I thought maybe we could order in once we’re done? Your pick.”

 

Ben nodded his head slowly. “Yeah, too late to make real reservations at _The Rebellion_ either way… We can get some takeout.” He shrugged. “But first, uh… why don’t you go in the bedroom and lie down on the bed for me.”

 

“What? Seriously? Is me making a horrible mess a turn on?” she chuckled, well-aware of how insatiable he could be.

 

“Just do it, Rey. I mean, you’ve had a long day and so have I.” He looked at her once more, his eyes darkening for a moment. “Go lie down, Rey. I’ll be right in.” His deep voice made Rey aware that she couldn’t convince him otherwise.

 

“Alright,” she said, slightly confused.

 

“That’s my girl,” Ben replied, disappearing from the room before poking his head in again. “And Rey?”

 

“Yes?”

 

“When you lie down on the bed, don’t wear anything,” he said in his baritone voice. “And keep your eyes closed.”

 

Rey nodded slowly, recognizing the need in his voice.

 

Carefully, she did as she was told, walking to their bedroom and laying down on top of the bed, _sans_ robe. She looked around the bedroom and didn’t notice any particular difference besides another glass of wine by Ben’s night table and the bottle. Feeling her nipples harden as a draft came through the bedroom (Ben had probably aired out the kitchen), Rey nervously tapped her fingers on the bed sheets, curling her toes and wondering what he was up to. Never in her wildest dreams did she think that her making an absolute mess in the kitchen would lead to a good fuck. Not that she would complain.

 

She heard noises and shuffling coming from the living room. A beep indicated that he had used the microwave. The door opened and slammed shut before she heard Ben fiddling with a plastic bag. She listened to him in the kitchen, walking back and forth, but was unable to hear anything that would give her a clue as to what he was up to.

 

Finally hearing him returning towards the bedroom, Rey prepared herself with sudden anticipation. Promptly closing her eyes, she opened her legs and her arms.

 

The first thing that she noticed was the smell of something sweet filtering into the room together with Ben. She heard him put a bowl on the dresser before listening to the rustling of clothes and the unzipping of what was, most likely, his pants.

 

“Are you getting naked too?” she grinned.

 

Ben chuckled. “Nah, just taking my pants off. Hope you don’t mind.”

 

“As long as you don’t mind me,” she purred back.

 

“Oh, I don’t mind what I’m seeing on the bed. I actually love it. It’s quite a sight, I must say,” he said softly. At the sound of his pants landing on the chair, Rey heard and felt him crawling on the bed, his knees by her toes as he sat up. And then…

 

Silence.

 

“God, you have such a hot fucking body,” he whispered as he wrapped his hands around her right ankle and worked his way upwards, squeezing lightly along the way. Her breath quickened as he reached her thigh and stopped below her sex. Rey frowned, disappointed, as he pulled his hands away and leaned back, repeating the same action on her left leg.

 

Feeling her arousal increasing, Rey bit her lip as he pulled his body over hers. He was still wearing his oiled-stained shirt and laying so close, she could feel his thickness through his underwear.

 

Rey felt his hand on her cheek and his breath on her lips and instinctively parted them, lifting her head so she could capture his. With a slight chuckle and a deep breath, Ben pulled back and kissed the tip of her nose.

 

“You like this,” he teased.

 

“Of course I do. How can I not?” Her voice was lustful, dearly wanting to be taken by the man atop her. She pushed her hips upwards, pressing herself against his hardness.

 

“All in due time,” he promised as he placed a kiss on her lips, opening his mouth until their tongues met before he, all too quickly, pulled back and crawled off the bed.

 

Whining at the loss of his warmth, a familiar welcoming ache forming between her thighs, Rey parted her legs, hoping the sight of her folds and the slick would entice Ben to forget whatever it was he was up to and simply take her. But alas, she heard a faint sigh and Ben still remained at the end of the bed.

 

“Be patient.”

 

Rey heard a _clank_ from the dresser and Ben fiddling with something. There was a slight stirring of a bowl nearby and Rey smelled that sweet odour. It was so familiar that she could almost put a name to it.

 

“Rey?” She heard Ben’s voice, now soft. “Do you trust me?”

 

Confused, Rey frowned, slightly alarmed by Ben’s question. “You’re not up to some new, weird fetish thing are you?” she couldn’t help asking, growing nervous. "If so, a bit of a warning would have been greatly appreciated.”

 

“It’s not a fetish,” he replied softly as he climbed on the bed again, his knees touching her feet. “It’s just something that I’ve wanted to try for a while and, after what you’ve been through today, I thought… might as well try it now. Do you trust me?”

 

“I do.”

 

“That’s good, babe. Now, I just want you to lay like you are now, with your eyes closed. Stay still and just relax,” he instructed as she felt him leaning over her stomach. “Can you do that for me?”

 

“I can,” Rey whispered. She took deep breaths, her nerves getting the best of her as she waited… The smell intensified until she suddenly felt something warm being finely brushed below her belly button. “Is that… is that _chocolate_?”

 

“Only the good kind,” Ben smirked as she felt another faint brush on her stomach.

 

“Are you _painting_ me with _melted chocolate,_ Benjamin Solo?”  she asked incredulously, opening her eyes and staring at the ceiling.

 

“Close your eyes, sweetheart.,” he urged softly, squeezing her hand. “Yes, it is chocolate and yes, I am painting you but don’t fret.”

 

A bit confused, Rey eyed the ceiling once more before shrugging it off and closing her eyes again, wondering what had come over Ben to do something so… _unusual_ ? _Weird_ ? _Sweet_ ? _Romantic_? She dwelled on the matter as she felt him meticulously continuing his painting, brushing, heck, she wasn’t sure what he was up to. He could actually just be using a sharpie to draw on her and eating chocolate on the side.

 

She felt small, fine brush strokes on her lower stomach. It almost felt like he was writing or painting something small and precise. He painted a long streak that ended on the side of her stomach and Rey giggled, the tickling getting to her.

 

“Sit still,” Ben teased before placing a kiss on the ticklish spot, not helping Rey at all. “You’re going to ruin the surprise.”

 

“Well, what do you expect? It almost feels like a feather on the side of my abs,” Rey retorted as she calmed down.

 

“Just relax.”

 

“I’ll try.”

 

Rey settled down again and managed to relax after a while, forgetting about her horrible day in the kitchen. The brushes from Ben’s part soon became soothing; whatever he was using was silky smooth and the chocolate almost felt like an oily cream that was being spread on her body. She wondered what it was he was drawing. A part of her hoped it wasn’t some idiotic doodles or some sort of artsy body painting (she did not consider herself an “art” person) just so she wouldn’t hurt Ben’s feelings but that wasn’t really his thing, as far she knew.

 

Rey did remember him mentioning once how his Uncle Luke had taught him to write calligraphy when he was younger as a way to _express himself_. Rey remembered seeing special pencils and notebooks in his desk but wasn’t aware whether he used them or not.

 

She shrugged and cleared her head again, rather enjoying the streaks along her naked body. If it hadn’t been for being tickled every now and then, she would have found the experience slightly arousing. The warm melted chocolate almost felt like a tongue that explored her body.

 

Once he was done with her lower stomach, she felt the brush around her navel and thought she could feel the shape of what he was drawing. He continued above her navel and Rey felt his breath on her breasts, he was so close.

 

Breath quickening, her nipples hardened as his warm breath blew over them and she sighed wantonly when she felt the tip of his tongue on her skin, arching her back. He spread the kisses higher and higher until he reached her collarbone and then her ear. “Be patient,” he whispered tenderly before pulling away.

 

Pouting, Rey fell back on the bed, waiting impatiently as he continued.

 

He didn’t paint anything on her nipples but drew something that resembled circles.

 

“There, I’m done,” he finally said, satisfied, as he got off the bed.

 

“Can I open my eyes,” Rey asked a bit groggily, almost falling asleep.

 

“No, not yet. But Rey, do you think…” He coughed nervously. “Do you think I could take a picture of you, like this?”

 

“As long as it doesn’t end up on some art show that you’ve taken part of and I’ve just found out about,” Rey chuckled.

 

“No, it’s nothing like that,” he replied. “It’s just… I just want a picture of you this way.”

 

“Of course Ben,” she said. “I trust you.” It wouldn’t be the first time that they’d taken nudie pictures of each other.

 

“Are you ready, then?” he asked, after fiddling with his phone and tapping to take pictures.

 

“Ready for what?”

 

“To look at yourself,” he replied.

 

Nodding her head, Rey felt Ben’s hand over hers as he carefully helped her out of bed before guiding her towards the closet where one of its doors was a mirror.

 

“Okay.”

 

Rey slowly opened her eyes and first had to wait for her eyes to adjust to the light . Then, as her sight cleared, and everything stopped being a white blur, she looked at her naked self and tilted her head, finally able to see what Ben had drawn on her body.

 

She covered her mouth and gasped, feeling her heart growing tenfold. “Oh my god, Ben… This is…” she struggled to talk, the emotions taking over. “This is… This is _beautiful_.”

 

Rey wasn’t familiar with body paint but this definitely wasn’t body paint - she wasn’t even certain she could call it art - but it was… it was just beautiful…

 

Words were finely written across her chest with hardened chocolate, words she couldn’t make out but were, oh so beautiful, to look at. Finely drawn streaks adorned the side of her chest and just above her pubic bone. Ben had drawn two suns around her nipples and what looked like a moon around her navel. They reminded her of scriptures that were painted on the walls, or old scripts and scrolls she had seen, when Ben had dragged her to visit old churches (an unusual fascination of his) during a trip to Europe last year.  

 

Although Rey could see the letters, she couldn’t make out the words as they reflected backwards in the mirror before her.

 

Ben appeared behind her, looking down at her body before meeting her eyes in the mirror. “You are beautiful, Rey,” he whispered in her ear as he admired his work.

 

Tears forming in her eyes, Rey looked down. “I can’t make out what’s written, though,” she admitted, trying to decipher the words he'd written. Ben brought his phone and showed her one of the pictures he had taken on the display.

 

Her throat drying and feelings her cheeks flush, she grabbed hold of the camera and studied the picture before looking at herself again.

 

“ _Mea_ ?” She read the small word below her breast slowly. “ _Mea_ ? As in _Mea Culpa_?”

 

Ben, still standing next to her, shook his head. “No, not as in _Mea Culpa_ … _Mea_ … as in ‘ _mine’_.”

 

“Is this Latin?” she asked, shocked.

 

“Yes. Would you like for me to translate?” he asked softly, their eyes  meeting through the mirror, lowering his head so that his hair started to fall over his face. Rey bit her lip - that hair falling over his face always made him look so sexy.

 

Rey pointed to another word. “ _’Semper,’_ ” she said in a hushed voice.

 

“ _Always_.”

 

“ _Aeternum,_ ” she continued.

 

“ _Forever_ ,” he said, his eyes glued to hers. His eyes darkened and his voice had also deepened. Rey knew they were both getting turned on by this. How could they not? It was probably the most romantic thing he had ever done.

 

“Is this a sentence?” She pointed to another script below her navel. It looked different from the others.

 

“ _Sanctum Corpus_?” She raised an eyebrow.

 

Groaning slightly, Ben placed his hand around her arm, squeezing lightly. “ _Your body is sacred_ ,” he whispered in her ear, the heat of his breath making Rey’s body tingle with sudden want.

 

Chest heaving, Rey pointed to the last one, her breath trembling as she parted her mouth.

“C _orpus Meum_?”

 

Ben brought his lips to her other ear, his nose brushing against her cheek. “ _Your body is mine_.”

 

Rey turned around and faced him, tears falling from her eyes. “This is… Ben… this is amazing,” she whispered, tilting her head so her eyes met his. She groaned as she felt his hands on her hips, loving it when he squeezed tightly, pulling her closer to his body. “I… I don’t know what to say… Thank you.”

 

“No.” Ben shook his head, leaning down and placing a kiss on her forehead before resting his head against hers. “Thank _you_ , Rey. Thank you for being here, for being in my life.” He smiled before Rey crashed her lips against his, their tongues rolling together as Ben pressed her lithe body against his. Moaning, Rey detached herself momentarily and looked down in horror.

 

“Ben, what are you doing?” she asked as she saw the chocolate writing smudging on Ben’s shirt. “You’re ruining your clothes. You’re ruining the writings.”

 

Ben answered by kissing her fiercely and shoving her on the bed.

 

“Who the fuck cares? I can buy new ones. And I have the pictures,” he muttered before biting her ear and spreading kisses along her throat. Rey emitted moans at the delicious feeling of his teeth grazing her skin, her stomach fluttering eagerly. Her legs were quaking as she fell down on the bed and she watched Ben tearing his shirt off and pulling down his underwear, his member protruding boldly, waiting angrily to conquer her. Biting her lip, she scooted up the bed until she hit the pillows and watched Ben’s chest heaving, his mouth parted as he looked at her with fiery dark eyes, gazing at her, observing her.

 

“I love you,” he whispered.

 

Mouth dry, she looked up at him and smiled. “I love you, too.”

 

He lowered himself atop of her and fiercely  kissed her everywhere he could find, his mouth covered in chocolate. As beautiful as the writings were, Rey couldn’t give a damn about them as she could feel his tongue, his teeth, across her neck, her chest, her nipples, her stomach, her entire body. She wrapped her arms around his back and her nails broke his skin as she pressed him further against her. She called his name and muttered nonsense, dearly wishing to say anything that would make him understand how magnificent he was, how she was so happy to have him, how much she loved him. It was to no avail as the words turned into moans and groans, hisses and simple words urging him to do more, to make her feel complete. Ben responded by increasing his explorations, planting his mouth over hers. He moved more atop of her and she could feel his erect member near her entrance. She begged, oh, how she begged, for him to take her, to make her feel whole. She almost cried in frustration, her body wanting to feel him now more than ever.

 

He finally met her eyes and they stared at one another for way too long. They didn’t need to do anything or ask permission. They simply knew. In her heart, she knew this was special, for both of them. This wasn’t just lust or wanting to get off.

 

This was love making, pure and simple.

 

She let out a faint sigh when he finally pushed himself into her, their bodies now united. Rey now finally admitted something she had long refused to acknowledge since they had started dating: _there could never be another person for her other than Ben_.

 

000000000000000

 

It was sometime in the middle of the night when Ben felt his eyes open slightly. He took a deep breath and knew he wouldn't remain awake for long. He felt the cold, oozy feel of chocolate here and there on the bedsheets and knew he wouldn’t care about it until tomorrow morning. Just like his ruined shirt, he couldn’t give a fuck - they would simply get rid of the bedsheets and get new ones it they had to. Laying naked on his back, with a hand under his head, he looked up at the ceiling, feeling utterly content.

 

Turning his head, he saw Rey lying on her side, her ass facing him underneath the covers, sleeping soundly. Smiling, he turned on his side and snaked his hand underneath her head and scooted closer to her, pressing his spent member against her ass. He rutted lazily against her and stopped when she finally pushed against him. They could go at it again but they needed to rest, Ben concluded. Closing his eyes, he grabbed her hand and intertwined it with his, feeling the warmth of the golden band on her finger over his own. He squeezed her hand lightly.

 

“Happy first wedding anniversary, sweetheart,” he whispered tiredly  in her ear, feeling the slumber take over.

 

Rey smiled in her sleep.

 

 

 

 

**LATIN WORDS**

Mine - _mea_

Your body is sacred - _sanctum corpus_

Your body is mine – _corpus meum_

Forever - _aeternum_

Always - _semper_

 

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you liked it!  
> I have very little knowledge of the Latin language so all translations come from Google. Just so it is said, Sanctum Corpus can be easily translated into "Holy Body" but apparently when I write "Your body is sacred", that's what I got. 
> 
> Do leave a comment!


End file.
